Don't Cry
by NettikGirl
Summary: CH 2 : Goofy's gaze remained fixed upon the aeon, who had slowly opened his beak, revealing an orb of energy, slowly gathering in size, and in power. “Sora?” [FFX Crossover, no characters mentioned. TF Fic]
1. Transformation

Yup. I know I'm supposed to be working on Trinity Limit – but this idea came to me after playing Final Fantasy X, plus the thought that I hadn't written a transformation fic in a while. So I'll keep progressing as much as I can, cause now I've got a lot of free time on my hands – summer holidays for "Down Unda'" are here. It's a bit rushed, too. I was half-asleep while writing this.

Thank you for reading! Contains references of FFX and a certain aeon. For those who have played FFX, try and guess who it is. Enjoy!

* * *

_Sora stared upwards at the large lipped edges of the crater that currently surrounded him, his ocean blue eyes taking on a look of wonder and curiosity, as they probed each aspect of his current location. He observed the worn terrain, the cracks trickling down the rocky wall, as he took a step forward, his gaze never averting, not even to realize the presence of his two counterparts walking up behind him._

"_Ya right there, Sora?"_

_The voice managed to snap the Keyblade Master out of his daze, and (though slightly annoyed) he spun around to face the royal mage of Disney Castle, Donald Duck, and the clumsy, yet easygoing captain of the royal knights, Goofy. It was the knight who had spoke, slight concern visible within his tone as he warily observed the area._

_Sora gave a soft sigh. And why wouldn't he be? A world neighboring Traverse Town had been entirely eliminated, and some debris had landed around the area of the Third District. Whilst a majority was small, and harmless, some large ones had caused major damage to buildings. One rather large debris had created a deep, gaping crater, and sunk in to what seemed to be the very core of the world itself._

_This had concerned the fighters of Traverse Town, drawing in the possibility that if Heartless had hitched a ride upon the chunk of debris, the refuge world would be instantaneously destroyed. To be sure that there was no presence of the fatal enemy, Leon had contacted the trio straight after Sora had sealed the Keyhole within Agrabah._

"_We'd like to be sure. People were saying it was strangely coloured, or even glowing. Even if it isn't the Heartless, I'd like you guys to check it out. We've still got Heartless around our territory to worry about."_

_To Donald, it seemed almost as if the entire idea was nothing of significance to the gunblade-weilder, and he suggested moving on to another worlds, in order to find their King. However, both Sora and Goofy grew increasingly concerned about their friends in Traverse Town, leaving the stubborn mage to reluctantly steer the ship back to the threatened world._

_They'd immediately begun investigation upon arriving upon the world, landing their ship in the midst of the Third District. The damage was quite serious, as several shops that formerly surrounded the area were not present, or reduced to piles of wood or concrete. Though there were barely any occupants within the area, it had struck deep concern within all who had heard about the sudden destruction. _

_At once, Sora had declared going down into the crater to investigate, which had actually left Goofy slightly wary. Only this time, he grew outvoted by the Keyblade Master and the mage, who had abruptly agreed to this decision. The knight was slightly taken aback by this action, though Sora did his best to reassure him._

_It wasn't, the knight had told himself as the trio began to skid down the side of the crater, down into the pit where the foreign object had fallen, that he feared that there were any Heartless down there._

_It was just…_

"_Just what?"_

_When met with this question, Goofy had no idea how to answer. Was it just a bad feeling? Was it simply that, despite his upbeat attitude, that he was in an uneasy mood today?_

_All thoughts had vanished from his mind, as the knight reached the bottom of the crater, before stopping to catch his breath and staring upwards at the skies of Traverse Town. Dawn was trickling into the navy blue, causing the stars to dim slightly, a slight tinge of orange managing to streak the skies._

_Sora had seemed like the most enthusiastic one to explore the area, searching for the alien object, his Keyblade at the ready, whilst Donald kept a lazy eye out for the Heartless, resting his staff upon his shoulder. Though Goofy reluctantly agreed to join the Keyblade Master's search, he remained silent, as they pulled back one blackened rock after another._

_It was Donald who had first noticed it, firstly dismissing at as a result of a lack of sleep. However, he began to believe what his very eyes showed him as he spotted the multicolored rock, eerily glowing in the presence of the darkness. Dwindling light consumed it, small… ("Fireflies?" The mage thought.) … levitated around it. Donald had notified everybody instantly about the unusual object. Sora had come dashing forth, boyish curiosity taking over his actions._

_Goofy remembered the action quite well. The optimism, the carefree youth the Keyblade Master displayed seemed almost endless. There had barely been a time when he'd seen it absent, or forced._

_But it was here when the knight suddenly panicked, as the carefree curiosity pushed too far. As Sora slowly began to reach out towards the mysterious object. As his finger caressed the trail of one of the "fireflies" As his face suddenly fell, as a whisper fell straight through the minds of the Trinity. Though it was at that moment, as soon as that voice had spoken… that it happened._

"_**Don't cry."**_

* * *

Sora rose abruptly, eyes wide, as he stumbled back, facing the glowing stone. He traded gazes with his two friends, equally as alarmed, both bringing up their weapons into a defensive position. As the Keyblade Master focused upon the object, he began to realize that it was glowing far brighter than it had since he'd previously laid eyes upon the stone. The "fireflies" were seemingly moaning, encircling the object at a faster rate, far tenser.

Donald pointed his staff at it, preparing a Firaga spell to launch at the seemingly hostile force, though far too slow to stop a sudden surge of energy bursting forth from the stone, the fireflies howling, lunging towards the young Keyblade Master. Sora only managed a panicked cry and a sudden stumble back before the mass of energy plunged directly into his chest.

A hot rush of energy flooded throughout his body and he let out a pained gasp, as the multicolored mass of light that formerly consumed the stone covered him entirely. Dizziness followed the hot rush, and he collapsed to his knees, wrapping his arms around him. His eyes were shut, tightly, his head throbbing.

Goofy caught sight of his friend cringing in pain and he abruptly rushed forth in panic, only to be repelled back by the energy mass, lashing out at the knight and throwing him a good few meters back. The same whisper from earlier rushed throughout his mind.

"_Help him, will you?"_

The knight shook the voice out of his head and rose, only now realizing something terrifying happening to his young friend. Donald rapidly blasted fireballs at the energy mass encasing the boy in panic, catching sight of the occurrences upon the pained Sora's body.

Patterns were developing upon his skin, glowing as they progressed up his arms. The Keyblade Master caught sight of them, letting out a small cry of surprise, though pain quickly mixed in as he felt his bones and muscles strain, as if they were lengthening. The light was increasingly brightening, the boy becoming blind to his surroundings. He cringed greatly as something burst out of his back, causing him to choke back his tears, as the whisper once again fell through his mind.

"_Don't cry."_

Sora croaked out a _"Who - ?" _before the dizziness returned, now stronger than ever and he struggled to rise. Though blind to his surroundings, he could still hear Donald and Goofy yelling out to him. He tried to reply, but all that emerged was a small croak. The dizziness and pain were so great; his very voice had been robbed from him.

He tried to stumble forward, only to find himself tripping over his feet. It was a shock for the Keyblade Master – they seemed far too big from what he was used to. He let out a surprised cry, and collapsed once again upon the blackened rock, flinging an arm out to try and steady himself. His mind was numb, as well as his body, but he felt so _strange. _He'd never felt like this before… His body seemed so alien to him, in a way. His arms seemed to be steadily growing weaker…

A wave of heat overtook him, and the energy disintegrated around him. Though the light had vanished, Sora's eyesight was still quite poor. His body felt so frail, he couldn't stand up at all, though he managed to slowly put the pieces together. That last wave of heat was obviously a Firaga attack. Donald must have broken through the energy, though the Keyblade Master's status never seemed to improve.

He choked out a soft, _"What's… happening…?"_ as he felt the darkness begin to overtake him. Trying to shake away the drowsiness, he again tried to stand. But his unusually large feet caused him to stumble, slightly, before his frail legs caused his knees to collapse. He kept shaking his head, softly croaking out _"You guys… what's going on…?"_before his eyes finally slid closed, his mind sinking into the depths of unconsciousness.

Goofy rushed forward to catch his friend from falling, though was horrified of what the light had revealed as soon as Donald had caused it to subside. Reddish, purple feathery patterns were visible all over Sora's body, talons had torn through his yellow shoes, and they had seemingly melted into his now-scaly feet. Two jagged wings had burst from his back, and as soon as the Keyblade Master had fallen forward, his arms had melted into them. The tips of his hair were staining red, the brown fading away. And the sides of Sora's face had hardened like stone, taking on a whitish, grayish color, whilst jagged, yellow patterns were beginning to adorn his face.

Donald approached the knight's side, his heart thudding as he laid his eyes upon the horrific scene. Despite the oddities already present upon the teenager's body, more were appearing, or at least developing. Sora's facial features were lengthening, hardening as they did so, whilst something somewhat like a feathery tail was emerging from the Keyblade Master's lower spine. Through all of this, his clothes seemed to be melting into his skin, the teenager cringing in his sleep as the transformation progressed.

Goofy slowly lay the half-changed boy onto his side, withdrawing from Sora reluctantly, his eyes tracing the damage that had already been done, whispering a soft "Gawrsh…" as the boy's features grew more inhuman. Donald sat by his side, watching the entire spectacle, fury and concern bubbling within the mage's mind, before it melted into resignation, and he looked over at the solemn knight.

"What do we do, now?" He whispered, his gaze switching back to the boy, feeling quite helpless about the whole situation. Goofy's reply only enforced that feeling, and the mage's head hung, his eyes closing.

"We wait… and hope it'll turn out okay…"

Throughout all of dawn, the duo watched over their suffering friend, until the transformation was complete.

* * *

A soft moan emerged from Sora's mouth, as he finally felt the dizziness subside from his body, releasing him from the depths of unconsciousness. His eyes reopened, his vision sore and blurred, blinking a few times to clear. The first thing he saw were Donald and Goofy, lying beside him, sprawled out and snoring, seemingly exhausted.

The Keyblade Master's gaze softened and he began his attempt in standing up, once again. But although the dizziness and pain had left him, Sora realized several aspects of his body that suddenly seemed foreign to him. He had used his arm – or what he _thought _was his arm – to steady himself upwards, but upon realizing that his eyesight, once it had cleared, seemed far different… a tinge of yellow layered over his usual vision.

But also, he felt new features upon him, things entirely alien to the boy. For one, his "arm" not only did feel quite strange, but there were new nerves among him. He couldn't feel his clothes, though some form of warmth seemed to cover his body.

His heart was thudding rapidly, now, in panic. Swallowing, he tried to gather his thoughts, his memories. The pain, the inhuman characteristics that had been hurled upon him the previous night resurfaced within his mind. He was afraid to look down at what he had previously assumed was his arm.

He was afraid to see _what_ he had become.

Sora closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath, before finally gaining the courage to glance downwards. No. No arm. A wing. A lightly feathered, tan-colored wing, with a largely-linked, golden chain lowering down from his shoulder to its tip.

At least three seconds passed with the former boy taking in the sight, his panic rising. Then, he let out a loud screech of fright, immediately waking his two friends from their troubled slumber. Goofy recovered first, standing up to see the Keyblade Master fully transformed. Sora had turned into what seemed like some sort of phoenix, its face plated in a smooth style, originating from the very tip of his beak, to where his hair was situated. Or what seemed like his hair. It was far more feathery, and now a bright red. The jagged patterns still remained upon the former boy's shocked face, though upon it were a pair of brightly glowing yellow eyes.

The jagged wings were still present from the night before, though one thing was clear, Sora had grown to nearly twice his size through the transformation. He slightly towered over Donald and Goofy, though only now, he didn't seem to use this fact for his advantage. Instead, he grew extremely panicked, stumbling back, straight into the wall of the crater, crying out.

"_What happened! What's going on!"_

The knight bit his lip, taking a step forward, trying to motion the highly uneasy Keyblade Master to calm down, though he seemed far too deep within the chaos of his mind to take in any sort of advice. Sora just kept screeching, like a bird of prey, though his normal, yet panicked voice was layered over it.

"_How did this happen! How am I gonna seal the Keyholes! **You guys, what happened!**"_

"_Sora! Cut it out! Just, calm down!"_ Donald yelled over to him, the mage's irritation rising abruptly after listening to the former boy's panicked cries, and he wasn't about to listen to a fit straight after the spectacle. Goofy was growing more concerned by the second, trying to yell some sense into the young Keyblade master, who refused to listen, flapping his wings in panic, and even slightly levitating off the ground by the force of them.

Finally, the mage could stand it no longer. He took a step forward and raised his staff, issuing a Graviga spell. Sora was slammed down upon the blackened ground with a loud cry, cringing in mild pain. The bright yellow from his eyes vanished, revealing the normal ocean blue. He inhaled slightly, as if attempting to calm himself, his eyes sliding closed as he tried to regain a hold of himself. Something had stirred within him. That panic. It… wasn't _himself_. It didn't come from _him_…

But… the creature?

"Quit screamin' like that, Sora! You're givin' me a friggin' headache!" Donald yelled at him. "What the heck came over ya! You almost blew away, kid!"

The Keyblade Master shakily rose, the blue orbs rising up to face the duo. Looking into them, both the mage and the knight caught sight of the human qualities that their friend had had even previously. The same bright blue orbs, filled with emotion, rather than a blind rage, like before. Basically, it was the only characteristic that seemed to remain of Sora's humanity, though if they focused harder, his crown pendant still remained upon his chest, fastened to the chain necklace.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered shakily. "I don't know what happened…" The teenager had grown calm, though he seemed deeply uneasy, as he finally managed to stand for the first time since his transformation. He swayed a little, unsteady, but he regained his footing and stared down at his two friends.

"Least you've still got your voice." Donald said, rubbing his ear in irritation, crossing his arms soon after. "Time out – _what the heck happened to ya!" _

Sora slowly shook his head, before perking up and spinning around, his gaze searching for the rock. But the mysterious glow was absent, the moans of the fireflies no longer droning through his ears as they formerly had. He gave a soft sigh, which sounded slightly like a faded whistle, his gaze remaining upon the area where the strange energy had previously been situated. Goofy must had thought along those lines, because he let out a groan upon looking at the site.

"It's gone…"

Donald stared downwards, his stubborn expression melting into concern.

"What the heck _was _that thing? Sure wasn't a Heartless…" He added, recalling the immense amount of energy from earlier. "… but what could pull off somethin' like this? I mean, this is a full-blown transformation we're talkin' about! And Sora's still gotta seal off the Keyholes!"

Goofy inhaled, trying to bring himself together, before asking the other two.

"Lessee… how did this happen? I mean, right after Sora touched the stone; there was this voice, right? Ahyuck, you guys heard it?"

"It kept coming back to me." The former human said, softly, stumbling as he lost his balance, briefly. "Every time the changes hurt real bad, so bad that I wanted to break down, that voice… just kept telling me the same thing, over and over."

Goofy blinked. "Told ya what?"

Sora looked down, as if slightly embarrassed of speaking up.

"Told me… not to cry. It was the strangest thing. It kept telling me, every time I felt like bursting into tears, when it hurt so badly. And what really scared me… was that I listened. I didn't cry. But I kinda felt like…that I could actually trust that voice. Before, when I first touched the stone, I was scared of that voice. But while I was transforming, I began to trust it, more and more. It kept speaking, and I kept listening. I didn't know what was going on… until it asked me a weird question. It just told me to leave with it. Leave you guys. That's what made me snap out of it. It's what made me wake up."

Sora shook his head, the chain swaying back and forth as he did so.

"My mind's gone…strange. I mean, I think I've changed… Like when I reacted, back then. I don't think it was _me._"

"It might be because you're like this." Donald muttered. "First off, we gotta find out _what, _and _how _this all happened, plus, what the heck _you _are." The mage added, studying the Keyblade Master's new form.

Goofy scratched his head; deep in thought, when he looked up at the sides of the crater they were currently situated. Sora followed his gaze, staring upwards, his ocean blue eyes filling with curiosity and wonder. He observed the worn terrain, the cracks trickling down the rocky wall, as he took a step forward, his gaze never averting, not even to realize the presence the knight turning to the Keyblade Master.

"Sora?"

The former human jerked out of his trance, snapping out of his gaze to face Goofy, who seemed slightly taken aback by the action, though a warm smile suddenly overtook his features.

Sora blinked. "What?"

The knight's smile burst out into a friendly laugh, as Donald suggested heading over to Merlin's house to seek advice. What the Keyblade Master heard from Goofy made him burst out into relieved laughter.

"Naw, Sora! Ya haven't changed a bit!"

* * *

Strange intro, but I like it. For those who've never played FFX, type in "Valefor" in the images section of Google, okay? That's what he looks like, only with blue eyes.

I will try updating both these stories as soon as possible!

Thank you for reading!

NettikGirl


	2. Have Fayth

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. Nor does Final Fantasy X. Both are owned by Square Enix, and one is also owned by Disney._

I don't think there's any way I'm going to quit working on this fic. Let alone abandon it. So for those who are still waiting around for this chapter, here it is. It's slightly longer than the previous one, and that's my treat for you guys. It also basically explains the basis of this story. Truth be told, this fanfiction won't be that long… perhaps four chapters at the maximum. But each one will be relatively long, and I'm considering a sequel, after I play Kingdom Hearts 2.

_So for those folks who have waited for so long, this chapter is for you._

_Please enjoy._

* * *

Within the silent districts of Traverse Town, sunlight managed to illuminate each shadow, each alleyway, as the day travelled into its central hour. Though this time of day was usually business at its peak, the arrival of the Heartless and the suspicion of the world's destruction lessened the crowds to almost nothing. Everyone had either retreated back into their homes, or had even grown desperate enough to travel off world.

So it was quite unfortunate for the trio as they slowly began to realize that without any provisions from the public whatsoever, they were in a rut.

"I mean, of course we're gonna have to meddle sometime, but we can't just call a crowd over 'n expect 'em to help out!" Donald mumbled, slipping down from the side of the crater for the third time, and trudging back to Sora and Goofy, frustrated resignation swirling within his features.

The aeon ruffled his feathers in slight annoyance, cocking his head to the side.

"We're gonna need _some _help, Donald? How else are we gonna get out of here?"

The mage shook his head. "Got no idea. You think you can fly in that form? We could really use that, but right now, _you_ can't even stand properly." The duck finished, as Sora stumbled for the third time, using his wing to support himself. ("Ugh!")

Sora gave a groan, at the fact that he was again corrected by Donald, before managing to rise, his gaze fixed upon his right wing. Examining it, he grew deep in thought. Despite it being the main feature that had firstly shocked the Keyblade Master, he'd grown more and more intrigued by his new form. Humanoid or not, he knew he'd have to grow more familiar with it. Because of the complexity of how he'd undergone the transformation, he doubted he'd regain his human form anytime soon.

"Maybe we can try getting a message across… You know, to Leon and the others. If someone comes by, we can ask! What do you guys think?"

The mage shook his head firmly. "No, no, no, and _no!"_

Sora gave a glare. "Why not!"

Donald let out a frustrated sigh. _"Because, _Sora … This creature you've just turned into isn't like anything anyone's seen around here! Do ya think you're gonna fit into Traverse Town? Do ya think you'll be lookin' normal enough for people to just ignore you?"

At this question, Sora grew quite silent, unable to rebut against this statement. A part of him had actually felt a pang of disappointment at this means of a question, knowing that the mage had proved his point. Though he was perfectly aware he was in a new body, a part of him was under the impression that things were still the same. He was still the Keyblade Master, wasn't he? He was still _human_ on the inside, anyway, right? He was still acceptable to be seen, right?

Sora slowly shook his head, answering Donald's question, and correcting what he'd previously thought, with one, short simple answer.

Simple to say, and to assume, though hard to accept.

_No._

The aeon closed his eyes, a soft sigh releasing from his beak.

Of course not. Though his heart and personality was who he truly was, he knew that was not the way a lot of people would judge him from afar. Of course they weren't going to ignore him. Of course they weren't going to judge him as a normal, everyday person. They'd be intrigued. Or worse, terrified.

"Sora?"

The Keyblade Master re-emerged from his thoughts, his eyes snapping open and his head quickly rising to face his companion. Donald had apparently grown aware of his friend's discomfort, and had abandoned his strict look, his eyes slightly flickering with a rare kind of anxiety.

"Ya right, there?"

Sora turned to his left, catching sight of Goofy, who had been silent all this time. The former human couldn't be sure whether it was out of concern, or some form of sensitivity, probably assuming that it wasn't exactly his place to speak out. But it was not one of the frequent times in which the knight had been entirely oblivious to the situation. The anxiety was there, instead of a look of bleak confusion. Though Sora was appreciative of his friend's caring nature, it was one of those times in which he began to reckon he needed one of the confused glances. He didn't, in any way, intend to offend Goofy. That carefree expression just had a history of making Sora burst out in laughter, whatever the situation may have been.

Right now, however, the look was absent. The Keyblade Master, despite this fact, managed a crooked smile, and gave a nod. Though a part of him slightly preferred it when his friends were unaware of his true state, whether emotional or physical, another part was grateful.

Donald and Goofy were willing to help him, no matter what the circumstances. They'd already accepted his current state. They'd accepted the events that had led them there.

They accepted _him. _

And, right about that moment, that was all Sora needed.

"My word… And what might you three be doing down there?"

Three pairs of eyes immediately cast upwards, to spot a familiar face staring back down at the trio. The figure slowly bent forth, adjusting his spectacles, as if trying to confirm what they aided his aged eyes in seeing.

"Merlin?" Donald asked, raising an eyebrow, and crossing his arms.

The old sorcerer managed a calm smile through his lengthy white beard, as his eyes scanned over the group, his eyes widening with a small hint of amusement as they reached Sora. The Keyblade Master seemed slightly uncomfortable with this, and let out a silent, nervous laugh, only just managing to keep his gaze with Merlin's suddenly seemingly penetrating eyes.

"Hm… I leave you three for no more than a day or so, and already you've been sticking your noses in places they'll never belong…" The sorcerer sighed in an almost mocking voice. "First off, do you happen to need any help?"

An abrupt nod was all Merlin needed, and (almost excitedly) he raised his wand.

"Higgitus Figgitus!"

Donald felt a lurch in his stomach, and let out a shocked cry as he realised all three of them were beginning to levitate from the ground, steadily floating upwards from the crater. Despite being a duck, he was not used to this feeling at all, and even began to feel slightly light-headed after staring downwards for a certain period of time.

Sora, however, grew most intrigued at this action. He gave an experimental flap of his jagged wings, the force sending him slightly higher than his comrades. A rush of adrenalin overtook him, and he gave another flap, firmer this time around. He rose nearly two metres above both Donald and Goofy, who had now grown aware of the teenager's antics.

"What're ya doin', Sora?" The captain asked, as the Keyblade Master gave another flap, before looking down at his friends, a sheepish, yet playful look suddenly brightening his ocean blue eyes.

"Uh…"

Suddenly, the former human felt another sudden lurch within him, and a dizzying shock rushing throughout his mind. The distance between him and his friends closed within seconds, and he looked downwards, only now realizing the ground suddenly rushing upwards to meet him.

With a bewildered screech, Sora gave a panicked, clumsy flap of his wings. He was _falling! _Merlin's spell had lost hold of him, somehow! Automatically, he beat his wings downwards, only to have gravity's hold break on him for a brief moment. Upon the end of it, he realised his fall had been broken entirely. Even now, he was drifting downwards at only a fraction of the speed he'd previously been plummeting…

His wings gave another flap, and his descent ceased. This time, he rose a little higher than his current position.

If Sora still had his lips, he would have had a large grin plastered upon his face.

He was _flying. _He was _actually flying!_

The aeon placed firmness within his next flap, and he soared upwards, clearing the crater entirely, and landing gracefully foot first upon the edge of it, where Donald, Goofy and a sheepish Merlin stood, watching the entire spectacle.

Upon seeing the sorcerer, however, Sora's optimism grew quite sour.

"What was _that _for!"

Merlin regained his composure, holding another gaze with the young Keyblade Master, observing the boy's childlike leer with a chuckle. The glare loosened, in almost what seemed like offence. What was so funny?

"If you _were _going to start flying, Sora, why not start now? Besides, I wouldn't have done so if I knew you were going to plummet to the ground like a stone."

The sorcerer perked up. "Which reminds me… that was no meteor that you three found down there now, was it?"

Goofy placed a finger to his lip, as he shared a glance with Sora, whilst Donald shook himself out of the sudden envy upon seeing his companion achieving flight at a first attempt, and shot a look over at the sorcerer, who had produced a suitcase of some sort, placing it down beside him, and now rummaging throughout its contents.

"Do you know what it was?" The mage asked, raising an eyebrow.

Merlin made no reply, as he continued to dig around throughout his belongings. The trio grew slightly amused (Goofy awestruck) as the sorcerer yanked out a tennis racquet, an umbrella, a frying pan, a fold-up chair, several books, and a long, wooden pole.

Finally, he recovered what looked like a battered, worn scroll from the depths of his bag. Clearing his throat, he rose to face the group, who all had remained focused (and quite amazed) at the growing pile of miscellaneous belongings that lay in a small pile beside the sorcerer. Slightly irritated, Merlin cleared his throat, far more audibly. This time, Sora, Donald and Goofy caught the gesture, and grinned sheepishly.

"That object was a statue." He said, quite simply. "At least, a piece of one."

The Keyblade Master blinked, eyes narrowing in confusion.

"A statue?"

Merlin gave a smile, as he unravelled a portion of the scroll. Taking a mere glance at the worn paper, it appeared to consist of an incomprehensible language, several black, faded, markings that were alien to even Donald, who had usually been known to study as a linguist within the castle library.

"From the world Spira, which isn't too far from here, if I am not mistaken. Quite fascinating, actually. They study in magic quite thoroughly, offensive, and defensive. Plus, their art of summoning is truly _amazing…_"

"Uh… but what does this hafta do with Sora?" Goofy asked, tilting his head to the side. He swallowed when Merlin gave him a sharp look, as if slightly flustered of the sudden interruption, before the sorcerer turned to the former human, taking a quick glance at the scroll, before proceeding to continue.

"As I was saying, the summoning process usually follows this procedure: Summoners use souls willingly sacrificed by people, to call upon creatures, called "aeons," to aid them in times of need. The souls are known as "fayth," and they are often imprisoned in statues, for summoners to pray towards, until they finally obtain an aeon for them to summon."

Donald placed a wing under his beak.

"So, what yer sayin', is that the light from that statue was a fayth?"

Merlin gave a smirk, satisfied that his audience was finally paying attention.

"Exactly. Aeons, obtained from the fayth, come in many different varieties. Each one has their own personal ability, more elemental as such. Fire, thunder, ice, and even the power of flight are wielded through the aeons, by the summoner."

The sorcerer rolled up his scroll, glancing up at the Keyblade Master, who appeared to be growing quite absorbed into the explanation. He had sat down, his talons folding beneath him, and his jagged wings folding into his back, and was listening attentively, his bright blue eyes unblinking.

"You, Sora, are the splitting image of an aeon known as Valefor. Obviously a wielder of flight, but several other aspects of offensive elemental magic."

"So, Sora turned into an _aeon_?" Goofy asked, scratching his head in disbelief. "How did that turn up?"

It was here when Merlin studied the contents of the scroll for a few more brief moments, before rolling it back up, and placing it back into his bag. He then rose to observe the anxious trio, lowering his spectacles, and giving them a soft smile. This only seemed to agitate Sora slightly, as the gesture looked… well… almost _apologetic._

"Not very simply, I'm afraid. You see, I read up on a few cases just then, and this is the best assumption I could find.

"What you touched, Sora was a statue imprisoning a fayth, rather than a meteor. Ordinarily, I believe that fayth would not have abandoned its position at all, unless a proper summoner had called to it. _This _statue could have been an exception… for it has appeared to have been tampered with, I'm afraid. Perhaps it may have been betrayed whilst in this state. Perhaps it was not a willing soul to be sacrificed. Whatever the case, it wanted revenge, and needed a form in order to accomplish it.

"Once you touched that statue, you were the first being that it could reach, and inevitably, it was strong enough to transform you into its respective aeon. But in its plot, it did have a major flaw, in which you, Sora, have yet to look out for."

The Keyblade Master rose from his sitting position, blinking. "What was it?"

"It had hoped, that in the pain of your transformation, you would have given up your own will to it. It had hoped that you would have given up anything to cease the pain at that given moment. That your trust would have been manipulated to the point of obedience without any question at all. But it failed. You refused to obey a request, and it vanished."

Goofy suddenly felt a pang, recalling Sora's explanation of the previous night.

"It just told me to leave with it. Leave you guys. That's what made me snap out of it. It's what made me wake up…"

"So, the fayth's gone, right?" Donald suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. Deep down, he knew it was to hide the sudden discomfort that had resurfaced within him.

Merlin shook his head, abruptly.

"Oh, heavens no! This is where I would take caution. That fayth…" The sorcerer said, lowering his voice into a whisper. "… has infused itself within your heart, Sora."

The former human withdrew slightly from Merlin, his blue orbs growing wide with shock.

"What are you saying? Do you mean I'll be stuck like this forever!"

"Again, no." The sorcerer mused. "Though it _is _your choice of whether that event will happen or not. That fayth is trying to gain your trust Sora. And I believe it has managed to earn it. At least a fraction, at the most."

The Keyblade Master ruffled his feathers, his eyes narrowing.

"But I don't… _trust _that fayth! I don't listen to – "

"But I kinda felt like…that I could actually trust that voice. Before, when I first touched the stone, I was scared of that voice. But while I was transforming, I began to trust it, more and more. It kept speaking, and I kept listening..."

Sora, right then and there, was again forced to make another correction. Bile welled up within his insides, and he swallowed it down, abruptly. He suddenly felt sick, suddenly felt weak. His anxiety began to rose, visciously. The Keyblade Master's bright blue eyes remained wide, for a few more moments, before shutting tight in disbelief.

No…

He did trust it… he did listen…

Every time it had spoken, reassured him, comforted him… though in a way so vile… Sora had listened. The fayth had caused him to go through all of this pain, all of this suffering, yet in its soft, calm, yet sturdy voice, it had told him…

"It told you not to cry, Sora…" Donald said, softly. "And… you listened, right?"

Between the three, anxiety was thick in the air. Goofy exhaled, slowly, as Sora managed to regain his façade, yet almost resigned.

"The reason you remain in this form, Sora, is because a part of you still holds trust within the fayth. It is not truly you who trusts it, but purely your aeon form. Yet as long as that trust lingers, you will remain an aeon. However, if you completely turn against it, it will have no choice but to leave you, if your entire heart rejects its presence."

The Keyblade Master locked gazes with the sorcerer. Merlin gave a soft chuckle when he caught sight of both blue orbs, which seemed to soften their determined look in confusion. Despite this new form, Sora obviously remained very much the same… the aspect of his personality the sorcerer had complete confidence in, still remained within him.

"Well… we can't stand around here all day. You won't get anywhere, now, will you?"

"Gawrsh… but, uh… what can we do?" Goofy asked, placing in effort to change the subject. The Keyblade Master, however, saw through the gesture, and shook off the previous mood. Merlin was right. They couldn't stay put throughout this ordeal. Besides, wallowing in self-pity, no matter how often he'd lately wound up doing so, hadn't helped him out in any way.

"Guess we could hang out here for a while." Sora said, glancing over at the knight. Goofy gave a confused glance towards the aeon, slightly taken aback of the sudden optimism adorning his tone. The slightly oblivious look melted into confused, yet heavy relief, as Sora turned over to Donald, giving a small chuckle.

"Sometimes, you're just one mood swing after another." The mage muttered, adjusting his hat with a smirk. "Maybe we'll just help take out some Heartless 'round here for a while."

Goofy gave a grin, as well as a loud, "Ahyuck!" before turning back to Merlin's current position.

"I guess we'll try helpin'-"

The knight jumped in mid-sentence, giving a confused cry as he studied the now-empty area, in which the sorcerer had formerly stood. Switching his gaze to and fro, around the Third District, he caught absolutely no trace of Merlin anywhere, whatsoever.

Sora's eyes grew wide. "Uh… where'd he go?"

Donald blinked. "Must've been in a hurry. I mean, he's practically leaping here and there all the time. Remember what happened when we first met him?"

The aeon gave the district another glance, scanning the area thoroughly for any signs of the sorcerer. It still didn't explain why he'd decided to vanish all of a sudden. Merlin was not one to leave his audience unattended so soon, regardless of errands he'd had to run, and places he'd mysteriously vanish to from time to time…

Maybe something… he'd realized?

As soon as that thought registered, a slight form of panic flickered across his features. But it never had the time to set in. It never had the time to remain within the Keyblade Master's mind. Because at that moment, the same, eerie darkness that had pursuing the three for almost a week, now, was pressing upon his chest. The ever-persistent shadows seemed to suddenly lengthen around the trio, desiring solely the prizes that they held dear, extending outwards towards them, bit by bit.

Donald leered, giving a scowl before summoning his staff to his side as the Heartless rose from the retreat of the shadows, their bright, lifeless, yellow orbs glaring hungrily at the Trinity. It was about time. Neither he, Sora or Goofy had witnessed an attack by the Heartless since the transformation, and at the moment, he was in the mood for a fight.

The mage spun around, glancing at Sora as he gave his wings a strong flap, causing him to hover above the ground, which was filling with more Heartless by the moment. The aeon's bright blue orbs were firmly focused on the creatures, pondering how he would have to battle them. He no longer had the ability to summon the Keyblade, and even if he did in this form, he would find it nearly impossible to wield a weapon.

Donald tore his gaze from the Keyblade Master, and back onto the group of Heartless that had gathered before them. Shadows were leaping forth, their stronger counterparts remaining behind the main group, as if expectant of a group attack.

Goofy suddenly charged forth, summoning his energy into his weapon. A bright gleam of scarlet and green gathered around his shield, as he pulled it in closer to his chest, nearing the small, yet somewhat vicious shadows that suddenly leapt up, claws keen to strike.

But their move could not match the speed of the captain of the knights, as he threw his shield outwards from his chest, is whole body following in a complete, circular motion, the edge of the unusual weapon flinging outwards, and slashing through several of the small, black figures, whom were only formerly a threat. But Goofy never stopped there. He continued the motion, over and over, his body spinning continuously. As he did so, the edge of his shield disposed of another small gathering of the Shadow Heartless, then another, and another…

In less than several seconds, the group of shadows had vanished.

Sora's bright blue orbs grew wide at the sudden ferocity of the Captain's attack. Both pairs of eyes fixed upon Goofy, as he turned around, facing them with a slightly exhausted glance, which screwed up into confusion when he noted their astonishment.

"What's the matter, guys?"

Donald regained his composure, and gave a long sigh. Just when he was about to credit his companion for the effective, yet formerly unknown maneuver that had been unleashed upon the Heartless, he just had to become his normal, Goofy self again. Still, regardless of the oblivious look that had dwelled upon his features, and had ultimately erased the respect for him that had been gained through the action, he gave an acknowledging nod towards the captain, before brandishing his staff, and dashing forth into the crowd of superior Heartless.

Sora smiled, inwardly, or with what he could manage through his new form. That last attack had astounded him, to say the least. How effortlessly Goofy had suddenly dispatched the shadows… he'd never seen such an attack like that, before…

__

'Almost like a tornado.' He thought to himself.

_**Exactly like one.**_

The aeon froze, as the familiar, soothing, yet somewhat sinister voice rippled throughout his mind. Abruptly, it seemed as if the world around him had slowed to a stop.

**He's quite destructive. Even when he believes otherwise, Sora.**

The Keyblade Master, inwardly, tried to scowl at the voice. Tried to question the fayth that had shifted him into a state, such as this. He tried to tell her to leave him alone, to leave him to this battle.

And ultimately, he tried to tell her to change him back…

But when he tried to speak, the ferocity within him was abruptly quenched. The demand in his words had faded away, so abruptly, so suddenly, those words, formerly furious, became a simple question. A question which he asked softly. Respectfully.

Fearfully.

__

'What do you mean?'

_**Your accomplices have power far beyond what you would previously assume, wielder of the Key. Regardless of the fact that they have remained by your side, even when you have become such a beast… isn't it strange that they continue to pursue you?**_

This time, Sora managed a direct scowl towards the fayth.

_**When you were human, you had the Keyblade. Such a mystical, overwhelming power, which magnified the strength of your heart by the thousands. Now, you own the strength I had, myself. You have my body, my abilities… and my guidance.**_

_**They fear you, Sora. They fear the power you contain, and continuously receive. But why do they pursue you? They remain by your side through duty, and duty alone. But regardless, who knows what you would do to them if they suddenly deserted you, Keyblade Master?**_

Sora shut his eyes, his insides churning. Though a part of him knew Valefor was speaking complete and utter nonsense, the part that remained true to Donald and Goofy… he felt as if every word the fayth spoke was pummeling him. He felt as if he was being ripped to shreds. The aeon part of him… and the doubt that had surfaced within his human mind, were both horrified. Valefor had given him a warning… yet scorn had been placed within her words.

He gave a glance towards his two companions, his chest aching. They were both frozen, in the midst of a still, yet furious battle. Though neither were moving, he ultimately realized their prowess – Goofy was in the process of unleashing another "Tornado" attack upon the stronger opponents, whilst Donald was focusing on the newly-obtained "Fira" spell.

The human Sora's eyes narrowed.

_'Are you the one who's scared, Valefor?'_ Suddenly, he was sorry. And fearful, once again. His aeon self within him grew panicked, little by little, as he was met continuously by silence. It knew that it had angered the fayth.

_**Would you care to repeat that, Keyblade Master?**_

The ache in his chest increased, and the Keyblade Master let out a pained cry, as it seemed to explode outwards, spreading towards every part of his body. But his chest seemed to be suffering the most… It was as if his throat and lungs were on fire. He could barely breathe. But what came as an eventual realization to Sora… was that it was as if something deep within him was trying viciously to resurface.

He shook his head, abruptly, trying to heave in another painful breath. But it was here when he again felt the mysterious fire well up within him. It was traveling up, through his chest, up his throat, with such speed, such ferocity…

Sora bowed his head down, trying with all his might to suppress the force that threatened to tear out of his beak. But the pain brewing within him was draining him, as it had upon his transformation. He tried to swallow down the power again, fearing its release into the scenario before him. He didn't know what would happen if it were unleashed. He feared it…

Suddenly, as his bright blue eyes shot open, a thick layer of transparent yellow suddenly overtook his vision. The Keyblade Master grew slightly confused, until he realized that the yellow grew brighter, thicker, over his vision. Now he panicked, realizing that the yellow threatened to blind him, threatened to blot out the scenario before him. But what truly began to scare him, was that he felt his own consciousness, little by little, begin to slip away.

His human self, for that brief moment, faded away. The blue eyes of his true self closed in exhausted resignation.

And Valefor opened her beak.

* * *

As Goofy managed to wipe out a Large Body with several pummels to the back with his newfound technique, he began to wonder whether Sora had participated in the battle at all. For the last few minutes… it had seemed as if only he and Donald had been dispatching the Heartless on their own. It wasn't that he was blaming the boy to be lazy, or anything, for he no longer had possession of his Keyblade for the time being. But he grew increasingly anxious as the aeon never swooped into battle, let alone spoke within its midst.

But when he turned around to acknowledge the Keyblade Master, he froze, eyes wide at the sight.

Instead of the bright blue orbs both facing him, there was a blind, furious yellow gleaming within the eyes of the aeon. They glared down at him, somewhat mercilessly, as the knight slowly, ever so slowly, took a step back. Despite the fact that he couldn't bear to look at the unexpected fury, his gaze remained fixed upon the aeon, who had slowly opened his beak, revealing an orb of energy, slowly gathering in size, and in power.

__

"Sora?"

Taken aback by the sudden tone of fear, Donald spun around, eyeing his companion in confusion, before shifting his gaze onto the former human. Surprise was quickly overcome by panic, as he realized the aeon's questionable intention.

__

"Look OUT!" He cried, charging towards Goofy and tackling the knight out of harms way. The remaining Heartless ceased all attacks, and stared up at the creature, oblivious confusion adorning their lifeless gazes.

They never lasted for long.

Valefor unleashed the energy that Sora had tried so hard to suppress. A thin, red beam struck the ground, sliding across the group of Heartless, at a deadly speed. Though at first, it seemed as if the aeon had either missed, or the attack had no effect whatsoever on the creatures of darkness, the inference was soon proved mistaken, as the area in which the beam had struck, seemed to explode, wiping out every, single Heartless that had formerly stood within the area. Not even the sturdy, enduring Large Bodies that remained could resist the attack.

Donald and Goofy stared, eyes wide at the destruction. The ground where the beam had hit was a charcoal black, the bricks upon which the Heartless had formerly stood had been cracked and scorched. None of the buildings had been hit, fortunately, but the destruction was immense, to say the least…

_WHUMP._

The duo glanced to their right, to see that Sora had fallen out of the air, and collapsed, hard, onto the ground. He lay very still, though labored breathing could be heard. Shaky, fearful, rising from the aeon's beak.

Abruptly, Donald dashed forth, Goofy following close behind his mage friend, staring with concern at the breathless Keyblade Master. Back then… he'd looked so ferocious, so fierce. But as he noted Sora, finally struggling to rise from the ground, still seemingly exhausted… still helpless…

Donald, on the other hand, seemed furious. He was about to yell out at Sora, about to tell him off, and question his previous action. He had nearly wiped out Goofy, without any hesitation at all, and done it in a way so offhand… as if he were their enemy.

But his fury ceased as he caught sight of the two blue orbs, raising up to face the approaching duo. They stared, wide and terrified, before Sora managed to speak, his voice shaken and softened with fear.

"What… did I just do…?"

* * *

_Again, I'd like to thank you guys for your patience. I'm going to go get a move-on with my other fics, and hopefully, very much hopefully, update them far more frequently._

_It's also possible that I will become involved in writing a collaboration fic with the writer Cattypatra. If the chapter becomes completed anytime soon, I'll let you all know._ : )

_Have a nice day._

_NettikGirl_


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